The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-12-24

The steamship City of Sydney arrived
at San Frana;sco on the 10Th from Hong
Kong and Yokohama. Chinese pa-ers
give details of a disaster occasiorled hy
the Yellow River overfiowing its banks
In the province of Honan and describe
II as one OF the most appalling destruc-
nons OF life and property recorded
IN recent times. The river broke its
banks on the evening Of September 2S.
southwest of Ching Chow and not cniv
completely inundated that city, but also
ten Other populous cities The whole
area IS now raging sea ten to thirty
deet deep where 1t was once densely
populated and rich plain. The former
Ded OF TIE elbow River is now dry and
t!ie present lake was the bed Of the
river centuries ago. The loss of life Is
3he hedlculable and the statement is made
~ missionaries that millions Of
Chinese are homeless and starv-
ing. Thomas Patton, one of the Ameri-
can missionaries, writing from the
Honan province, under date of October
%, says: The newly gathered crops.
houses and trees are all swept away, in
Viewing fearful lc.s of lie. The coun-
Try was covered with a fine winter grain,
which IS gche and implies a complete
destruction OF the next years crop.
Bread. bread is the cry OF
thousands who are on the river
hsnH. Benevolent people po in boats
and throw bread among the masses
here and there, but i is nothing com
pared with the requirements. The mass
oi people Is still being increased bv con-
slnuai arrivals even more hungry than
ahe last. There they sit stunned. hun
CRY and detected without rag to wear,
or lHofsei OF food. Mat huts are beipS
erected tor them, What it wiz be in
1No months / cannot conceive The
misery Is Increased owing TO the bitter
sy cold weather.
lellow River has long been known as
IHdua Sorrow" and the present dis
atster uaF served 10 reassert its right to
tte terrible title. As vet the details Of
ttT disaster are very meager. 1t has
oc Cured in district where but few
foreigners are, and reports furnished
Icy officials and published in the
Pekln Gazette, convey a very in
adequate idea of the extent Of the
los 81 iile and property and sutierines
ot the Survivors. The governor in H0-
han reports 10 the throne that NEARLY
I'll people have been drowned in the
district reached by the water, the sur
NIvors being those who escaped 10 high
ground or took refuge in trees, where
ihev remained unti they were rescued" f"
what the extent OF the disaster really Is
The Chinese Times states that in the
province OF ChIhli, where disastrous in
dndauons have also occurred, there are
ZtO,uOo people homeless. and adds that
the misery OF the province is trifing
compared 70 that of the Huango-Ho or
elbow .dver district. The extent of
groun swept over by the overwhelming
1oGd given in English figures, is over
$50 square miles and land thus sub
merged formed a part of one of the
richest and most densely populated
plains of Northern China The
necessity for liberal aid NAV therefore
be imagined. Already considerable
sums have been contributed towards the
relief OF the sufferers. The Emperor Of
China has given 2,0C0,G taels and sub
scrlption lists have been started in
Shanghai, to which foreigners have lib
orally contributed Millions have been
rendered homeless and entirely deprived
oi ali chances of earning a livelihood.
Tor Their fields viii either become per-
2naD ent lakes or uninhabitable swamps
At Is feared that the distress which
Will be felt during the coming winter
VIII equal in intensity the famine of ten
years ago when the charitable donations
contributed from all parts of the world
were utterly inadequate. 1t is stated
that owing to the action taken by the
Yellow River, it no longer flows toward
the seq, but seems content in converting
Eastern Honau and Northern Nganwnui
INTO lake. 1t NAV ultimately flow into
the sea through the kiangon, or it may
even possibly Join the Yang Use.